Shadows of Brightwater

We promise we won't go Battlestar Galactica on you

DRAFT

The heroes easily handled the orc warlord Wrongeye and her entourage. Afterword Dalkon conveyed them to the Skye Monastery.

The ancient monk Kaladrian informed them that Atticus was on a diplomatic mission to the local tribes to maintain the many treaties the monastery relies on for safety and that he was expected back in a few days. We learned about the monks’ philosophy and how Dierdre Skye achieved enlightenment some time ago, becoming immortal and immutable. They describe her as the one unchanging thing in an ever-changing world. (The monastery consists of approximately a 9:1 ratio of support and enlightenment seekers.)

The party relaxed and explored the monastery. Wesley went to the hot springs to relax. Crugold went to the library to exchange information with the monks. Gibley went to the kitchen to exchange recipes. Finn and Sorcha had a snack and then went to the Fields of Trials to exchange fighting tech.

Gibley had also noticed that Nix had wandered off. Nix wandered to the hot springs Wesley was soaking in and seemingly pulled a bow from the water. Nix got super creepy. Then he made himself invisible. Wesley got out of the hot spring and followed Nix. Gibley disrobed and got in the hot spring.

Meanwhile Finn and Sorcha are hanging out with the monks. The monks ask if Sorcha could work with them on practice weapons with which to talk/learn about fighting with hammers. The students spar with Finn. Finn takes off his extra equipment but still finds the students not to be particularly challenging to him.

Crugold explores the grounds…

Wesley continues to follow Nix who seems to be headed towards the gates out of town…

Also, sorry about killing your dudes.

The heroes fought and then talked with a storm giant named Dalkon (though we called him many other things). Dalkon killed Callie with single well-placed (and enormous) arrow during the battle, but we took down his two stone giant buddies.

Dalkon declared he was an enemy of orcs only and had no quarrel with us. We negotiated with him to have him transport us to and from the Sky Monastery. We also agreed to help him take out an Orc named Wrongeye. We resurrected one of his buddies and set up an ambush for the party Dalkon had mistaken us for.

A bizarre orc-demon hybrid of some sort came out first, shortly followed by a female orc with long shaggy knotted hair interwoven with beads, rings and bones, and carrying a large great-sword across her back. She was flanked by orcish warriors.

... and then we defeated an elemental!

Not knowing what the disposition of the approaching fire breathing something was, Sorcha shot it with her bow causing it to shriek and charge us. It proved a formidable opponent but we were well prepared and equipped and lost little to the attack.

Nothing followed the creature, leaving us wondering who had summoned it and whether they cared what its impact had or had not been. However, we were still waiting for Callie so that was our primary concern. After some discussion Crugold disappeared and went looking for Callie. He came back with news that she had gone through the ground into some other tunnels but there was no evidence she had perished.

We decided to wait (and rest) and she eventually returned. She said she had bartered passage with the local orcish tribe, the Bonesplitters. She led us down several more tunnels and out the other side. We were overlooking a harsh rocky valley. Callie pointed out a light on the other side which is the location of a small homestead we would stable our horses at in a day and a half.

The group wrapped up in Laedry, speaking with Attin, captain Theleos and ultimately we were unsatisfied with the conclusion of the cultish plot but so no way for us to make any further progress.

The team resumed their quest to find Finn’s uncle Atticus by looking for him at the Sky Monastary. We hired a guide named Callie to escort us up the mountains. The first day was fine except for a few incidents, possibly with some fae taking an interest in Wesley. On the second day the weather turned nasty so Callie led us underground into the territory of the Bonesplinter orcs. A few miles in we came to a spot where Callie was confused by the shapes of the tunnels. She instructed us to stay put and be wary of giants and such, then she turned into a small burrowing mammal and took off. Gibley decided to try to chase after her. Wesley silenced the area.

After a few minutes we saw a light coming from far down the tunnel from whence we had arrived at our current locale. As it drew closer some of the party were able to identify the light as flames inside some kind of toothed mouth.

Our heroes searched the sewer complex of the cultist for clues and loot. We also went through the Rising Son and found a non-magical golden fish.

From Attin we obtained the general plan of the cult and determined we had set their plan back considerably if not disrupted it completely.

Wesley went back to Captain Theleus of the guard to give him most of the information and have his people take over the rest of the investigation. When Attin learned that the captain was sending guards to the various locations he mentioned that the alchemical factory had a gorgon for defense.

The party hurried to the scene to contain the damage but not in time to save all the guards. Attin demonstrated his willingness to help as well as his capabilities by disappearing and then backstabbing the gorgon. The gorgon immediately knocked him down but Wesley brought him back.

At some point before Attin mentioned the gorgon Finn wandered off without anyone noticing…

Seems suspicious...

Plumbing the depths of the sewers below Laedry, our heroes discovered a hideout of the local Cult of Narul. They fought a guardian which took the form of a sort of animated mist of blood as well as some of the cultists and the golems they animated.

After subduing the cultists we talked the one named Attin into turning over a new leaf. There was another survivor among the cultists. Attin convinced him to relinquish his golem activation codes.

It was .. assaulted.

Gibley and Finn went over to the brothel Finn identified. Gibley was able to get some information out of the brothel’s owner, “Clayton.”

Further research suggested the quarry had gone underground into the sewer system. The adventurers entered the sewer about a block from where they believed their quarry had entered from. They fought a giant slug, then intentionally triggered a mechanism which flushed the sewers into a lower sewer system. They proceeded through a room and into another tunnel. They see some light coming from around a corner ahead. Gibley sneaks up and peeks around the corner with a mirror. He can see at least four women standing still wearing diaphanous gowns.

The Street Hawk: "The Truth Is Easy To Sell"

We continued to explore the chambers of the late head of The of Necromancy at the Arcane University. We put a huge stack of gold in a hole. We found a holy symbol to Narul, some spellbooks, a secret panel containing a mysterious magical tome and then the faculty interrupted us.

Wesley ran interference and asked a few questions. They demonstrated more interest in the sanctity of the college’s independence from outside law. Wesley asked how responsible they were for the professor’s exploits and that scared ’em off. Wesley promised to return any evidence found when the investigation is concluded.

Crugold found a receipt for some alchemical materials bought in bulk, including the ingredients for the explosion which opened up the prison. We also found a list of dates, times and symbols. The dates and times matched events we knew of which allowed us to guess at the meanings of the symbols, which all seemed to refer to locations. One of the dates was four days in the future and the symbol next to it looked like a sun rising or setting.

Having exhausted ourselves and the office we retired to a new inn. On our way Finn borrowed some money from Gibley and slipped away. He went to the Tanner’s Table to ask Nix about the dates, times and symbols. Nix was difficult, but eventually admitted someone had dropped a similar piece of paper next to him and he had grabbed it. He sold the paper to one of the news papers.

Next Finn went to the Hound’s Tooth and asked Jenna about the golem we fought. Jenna recognized her as one of the victims. Jenna also suggested the symbol for the next meeting might refer to a particular brothel that is lit by the cathedral at night in a way which looks like that symbol.

Finn returned to the group and related most of what he had found. Then he and Gibley went to the Street Hawk. Before they got there Gibley asked Finn to rough him up. Gibley went in to the office with a story about the Crown Crier roughing him up for info. The manager believes it and writes up new copy about the Curfew Cutter not operating alone and how there’s still an evil cabal at work.

Crugold and Sorcha did some shopping and research.

Westey went back to check in with the Captain of the Guard, who didn’t have much to say except that there’s probably more going on, and that he’s worried about the spread of disease in Laedry. He also said to visit Wesley’s sister, which Wesley did.

Gibley and Finn went to the Cathedral of Paylor to see how folks reacted to the Street Hawk’s news ruffled the feathers of folks near the cathedral. While Gibley was picking pockets Finn saw some hooded figures scurrying into a carriage.

Inside the necromancy department, that is.

We talked to some palace guards. Then was alerted to an unusual body in the dungeons which turned out to be Gibley’s acquaintance from Thief Club.

Based on the information available, we came to the conclusion that the murders were part of a larger plot led at least in part by the head of the necromancy department.

We decided to confront the necromancy department itself. We used the identification we had acquired from students to worm our way in. Working our way through the department we came to the office of the late department head which contained a large stack of gold bars. A voice from behind a door asked if were were The Master. We failed to bluff it, but Finn and Sorcha quickly dispatched it.

(There was some business about disease and blindness but we took care of that.)

A modest proposal: "why does evil have to be bad?"

We “stormed the castle” with the objective of foiling the rescue of Wesley’s nephew. Finn led us into a secret passage into the dungeons below. There was only an oil lantern for light, but it turned out to be because we were in an anti-magic field. We pressed on and then heard a large explosion. Pressing forward we came outside to find ourselves on a deserted beach with signs of a recent departure.

Crugold joined us then with scrolls in hand to cure us of our maladies. To find the recent departies he summoned a celestial squid which shot out into the water and marked the boat we were looking for. Crugold marked it some more and all of us went to town making life miserable for the occupants. Sorsha and Wesley took care of those who came to shore and the others took care of those on the boat.

In the process we killed a high-ranking member of the school of necromancy as well as some students. One of the victims was a half-elf who was probably Wesley’s nephew.